Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-17
ON TENNESSEE SOIL.
THE SIEGE AND THE BATTLE OF THE REBEL
STRONGHOLD
Fighting Under Thomas, ROsecranS Bragg and
LOngslest-Gsnsral Grants First AehOn in
the East Narratsd-Deadly Struggle
at Chickamauga.
49, y,cder in pbaadapb,a Times.

dAu -NN
night of the Goth the Army of the Cumber-
land. under the command of General George
II. Thomas, withdrew from the battlefield
to the new position in front of Rossyille.
All day long the 2lst the two armies re-
manned in line of battle. The Union army
here were united, presenting abold and de-
faint front. The army OF General Bragg,
although greatly outnumbering the troops
of General Thomas, had been badly
crippled and so repeatedly repulsed in their
charges on til Goth instant that on this day
they made no aggressive movement.
The main object Of the campaign
had been accomplished-the forcing OF
Bragy's army to relinquish the strongholds
of Tullahoma and Chattanooga. The flank
movement made by General Rosecrans
with the army of the Cumberland forcing
Bragg's retreat from Chattanooga, was one
of the finest strategic movements made
during the entire civil wal. 1t 80 alarmed
the Confederate government that all Its
energies were at once directed to the over
throw and humiliation of Rosecrans and
his army. To effect that purpose General
Longstroet, Lees ablest general, with
three veteran divisions from the Army OF
Noethern Virginia, General Buckner's
Corps. from East Tennessee, with troops
from Charleston and Mobile were
sent to Bragg, swelling the rebel role
IN 100 900 seasoned veteran soldiers. This
grand army OF rebel gray in the valley OF
the Chicamauga for two consecutive days
were hurled in desperate charges against
the lines of Union blue, and were lnvarla-
bly, repulsed with such terrible slaughter
that on this DIST day OF September the TWO
armies remained inactive, glaring at each
other like two gladiators OF Did. Having
now secured the concentration Of his
troops and the safety of his trains, General
Rosecrans decided to withdraw his army to
Chattanooga. TO accomplish that object
the division of General John Nj. Brannon,
to which the writer belonged, was desig-
mated Us the rear guard.
Under cover of the darkness OF night the
withdrawal of the Army Of the Cumber-
land was effected. The morning light oil
the Odd disclosed 10 the Confederate lead
ers the fact that only the rear guard OF the
Army of the Cumberland was on the front.
Strong accommodating parties sent out CON
firmed the fact. Near oOn the COnteder-
ate advance commenced the division OF
Genral Brannou slowly ~retreating, warmly
contested the ground as they letreated, de-
LAYING the advance rs much rs possible to
give General Rosecrans time TO complete
his defensive lines around ChattanoO-
"a. The Union lines were Ill the
form of q crescent commencing
Oh the left at the river. above
Chattanooga, and extending around the
town to the mouth OF Chattanooga, a creek
below. Bragg's main army took position
Oh the crest of Missionary Ridge, with an
advance line at the foot of the ridge, his
pickets advanced some half mile i'll the
valley beyond. The Union troops were
soon after withdrawn from the height OF
Lookout Mountain, which was quickly oc-
cupied by the troops of General Longstreet,
his batteries commanding the river ana
road running from Chattanooga To Bridge
port. The only road now remaining open
for the furnishing of supplies to General
Rosecrans' army was the mountain road TO
the rear across Walling's ridge to the Be-
quatche Valley and thence to bridgeport.
With the abandonment Of Lookout
Mountain the siege of Chattanooga practi-
tically began. The supplying OF the Army
of the Cumberland over this mountain
Gus road was q difficult as well as labori-
-. .-lo.Nl,n nul "a odd otIll mnra IN
the difficulties to be encountered, the Con-
federate General Wheeler, with n division
of cavalry, early in October crossed the
Tennessee river above Bridgeport, and,
rapidly moving up the Sequatche valley to
Anderson's cross roads, made a successful
attack on the supply trains, destroying
and burning some four hundred wagons
loaded with rations and forage, and cap
turing and killing a large number OF the
horses and mules.
The loss of the wagons and mules was a
severe blow to the army at Chattanooga,
and from this time forward the amount of
supplies arriving ut Chattanooga gradually
diminished until the Army OF the Cum
berland was in danger of starvation, as
Bragg well knew. The suffering was ter
rible, but officers and soldiers alike were
determined to hold Chattanooga until they
starved or reinforcements arrived.
The reintorCements that were needed
and should have been forwarded to General
Rosecrans before the battle of Chicka-
manga were now being sent forward. Cen
eral Hooker, with the Eleventh and
Twelfth Army Corps, commanded by How
ard and Slocum, arrived at Nashville,
Tenn, early in October, taking position
along the Nashville and Chattanooga Rail
road, occurring it from the raids of rebel
cavalry, while large quantities OF supplies
were being accumulated ut Stevenson and
Bridgeport, ready to be forwarded to the
beleagured army at Chattanooga as o
as communication could be opened.
General Rosecrans hid found 1t
imr possible TO supply his army
by wagon train over the mountains, and
had wisely concluded 10 utilize the river as
far rs possible. The railroad from Bridge
port to Chattanooga could not be used until
Bragg's force was driven from Lookout
Valley ard mountain. The Tennessee
river could be used as far as kelly's Ferry,
tDen Dy wagon SOunc SlA vi eiBul "iico "
Browns Ferry across Moccasin Point, again
crossing the river TO Chattanooga, making
the entire distance for suppliest to be hauled
by wagons I'D or IL miles. General
| ROsecrans, With his chief engineer, was
busily engaged on the plans OF this work,
when the order came relieving him from
the command of the army and department
| of the Cumberland. At the same time was
received the order creating the Military
Division of the Mississippi" under Gene
raj Grant, aud assigning General George
H. Thomas as the successor OF General
R~osecrans. In complying with this order
General Rosecrans severed his connection
witk the Army of the Cumberland. And
in bidding him farewell ! can truthiully
state that the love aud conf dence Of the
Army of the Cumberland went with him.
| What Mcclellan was to the Army OF the
Potomac, Rosecrans was to the Army of the
Cumberland. The new commander General
Thomas, came not like his predecessor, q
stranger, he had been identified with the
Army of the Cumberland from its organiga'
ton, forming its first division at Camp
Dick Robinson, Kentucky, in September,
1861, and with which he gained his first
victory, defeating General Xollicof1er on